Today’s Sports Connections hints & answers

Use this page when you're stuck on today's NYT Sports Connections puzzle and want structured hints instead of the full spoiler. We reveal themes, group titles, and tiles step by step, then show the full board only when you explicitly ask for it.

Puzzle #868 · 2026-06-11 · sports

Step through today’s Connections hints

Start with broad themes, then reveal more detail about the groups and tiles only when you need it. The final button shows today's full group breakdown.

Puzzle reference: Connections #868 for 2026-06-11, edition sports, with a standard four-group board. Spoiler categories and tiles stay collapsed until you open the hint layers below.

Hint 1 – overall theme

There are 4 groups in today’s puzzle.

Themes include: 2026 WORLD CUP HOST CITIES, NICKNAMES OF WORLD CUP TEAMS, CHRISTIAN PULISIC TEAMS and 1 more.

Hint 2 – group titles

Here are the category names for each group. Try matching the tiles in the official game to these themes before you reveal any tiles.

2026 WORLD CUP HOST CITIES
NICKNAMES OF WORLD CUP TEAMS
CHRISTIAN PULISIC TEAMS
ARGENTINA WORLD CUP PLAYERS

Hint 3 – group tiles

Reveal the tiles for each group. If you only want a partial nudge, stop after reading one or two groups and go back to the official puzzle.

2026 WORLD CUP HOST CITIES

MEXICO CITY

ATLANTA

TORONTO

PHILADELPHIA

NICKNAMES OF WORLD CUP TEAMS

LES ÉLÉPHANTS

SOCCEROOS

THREE LIONS

ORANJE

CHRISTIAN PULISIC TEAMS

UNITED STATES

BORUSSIA DORTMUND

CHELSEA

AC MILAN

ARGENTINA WORLD CUP PLAYERS

MESSI

LO CELSO

MAC ALLISTER

PAZ

Reveal full answer

This is the full breakdown of today's Connections puzzle: group titles and all tiles, grouped together.